Bernie 1185
by RoaringTurtle
Summary: Bernadetta was just supposed to be a speechwriter, and maybe help design a poster or two. So why was she standing at the podium of a campaign rally? Modern Political Campaign AU


Bernadetta Varley hated rallies.

They were just so hectic. Did they really need that many people? It's not like they had the room. And the noise! It was so loud that Bernadetta could barely hear her own thoughts, much less what any of them were saying. The only consolation was that she was backstage, but somehow, even with fewer people, it managed to be even more chaotic. Staffers were barking orders at each other, legs were flying, the paper was everywhere.

Why was Bernadetta even here?

She was a speechwriter for crying out loud! Bernadetta privately cursed the volunteer who had canceled last minute. She also considered cursing Dorothea for asking her to volunteer, but in the end, she knew it was her fault for agreeing. Bernadetta should've known she wasn't cut out for this.

_Do it for Edelgard_, Bernadetta motivated herself, just before a pile of signs that she was supposed to be assembling fell off her desk.

"Oh no! Look what you did, Bernie!" Bernadetta scolded herself. Now someone was going to trip while carrying some super important information and then the scary Campaign Manager, Hubert, was never going to get it, and then Edelgard was going to embarrass herself on stage and IT WAS ALL BERNADETTA'S FAULT!

"Need some help?" One of the regular volunteers, Caspar, asked and bent down to pick them up.

"Nononono. I can do it. It's my fault anyway," Bernadetta told him, crawling on the ground to grab them.

"Nah, it'll go faster if we both work together anyways," Caspar reassured her, and Bernadetta couldn't really refuse since he was picking them up faster than her. He even piled them up in an orderly fashion, unlike Bernadetta's mess of signs.

"T-thanks," Bernadetta got out when they were done, not able to look him in the eyes.

"Don't worry about it! Besides, I should be thanking you! I thought we were gonna be in trouble when Dorothea told us Megan couldn't come today, so you're a real lifesaver!" Caspar flashed a large smile as he put his stack of signs in her arms, "Besides, you're like really good at this! Look at how many of them you put together!" Caspar pointed to her "finished" pile of signs that were attached to the handles.

"It's really no big deal! Anyone can do this, I'm just good at crafts and things," Bernadetta admitted, not wanting him to get the wrong idea. Bernadetta wasn't cut out for this stuff, she would much rather contribute from the safety and comfort of her room.

"Well I was kind of surprised," Caspar told her, his hands behind his head, looking relaxed despite the atmosphere, "I thought a speechwriter would be all snooty and refuse to do any work."

Bernadetta froze, but when she became unpetrified, she asked what was on her mind, "H-how did you know I was a speechwriter?" She had specifically told Dorothea, the volunteer coordinator, not to mention it!

"Well, Dorothea told us that you were the speechwriter and that if anyone recognized you, we weren't supposed to say anything… Whoops, my bad!"

_Dorothea!_

"Hey, I'm sorry," Caspar apologized when he saw her frightened face, "I didn't mean anything by it! If anything, I'm starstruck! Your speeches are like really good! I get goosebumps when I listen to Miss Hresvelg, they're just so good!"

"No, that's just because of Edelgard. I just provide some talking points…" Bernadetta deflected. She hated talking about her own work. Edelgard was the one who made them usable.

"I'm not so sure about that," Caspar told her, before turning away when he heard his name, "I gotta go now, nice meeting you!" Caspar waved as he ran off.

"Nice meeting you too…" Bernadetta's voice tapered off as he was probably out of range anyway. Goddess, she wished she had half the confidence he had. Talking to a stranger would be so nerve-racking!

Honestly, if it wasn't for Edelgard she would probably be at home right now. But then again, she wouldn't do this for anyone but Edelgard.

* * *

5 years ago, Bernadetta Varley was a High School Senior who was forced to work at an internship over the summer.

Bernadetta had been looking forward to holing herself in her room for a full 3 months, but according to her mother, that wasn't fitting for a Politician's daughter. So they packed her up and sent her off to work for the campaign of one of their friends.

And Bernadetta hated every second of it.

Everyone already knew each other, so Bernadetta always felt left out of conversations, although it wasn't like she thought she would become friends with them anyways. They were different from Bernie. It was like night and day.

And no one exemplified this like Edelgard Hresvelg. She was also the daughter of a prominent Politician, but unlike Bernie, she actually was capable.

Anything that was given to her was completed within an hour, whereas Bernadetta couldn't even print things properly. Miss Hresvelg had this air of composure, it almost made you believe in her. Bernie was covered with the stench of failure.

Bernadetta didn't even like Politics! Whenever she ever mentioned her thoughts on a current issue, her father would always shut her down. _Stupid Bernie, no one cares what you think!_ Bernadetta had to constantly remind herself in case she slipped.

And it was especially dangerous here! Bernadetta wasn't entirely on board with everything the Crimson Flower Party said and did, in fact, she wasn't on board with most of her father's decisions! If these guys found out, they would eat her alive!

What was she even doing here?

Bernadetta wished she was Miss Hresvelg, strong and confident. Then maybe she wouldn't feel so out of place here.

That was probably the heart of the issue, Bernadetta realized. Bernadetta was lonely. She had to leave the safety of her room, and stay in this stinky hotel room! She couldn't even bring Mr. Snuggles, because apparently, she was too old for a teddy bear. She even missed her mother, who despite all the abuse, was probably the only one to notice that she was gone for the summer.

With those dark thoughts swirling in her mind, Bernadetta left to eat lunch.

Technically they could eat in the break room, but it felt awkward. There was this group of girls who were always laughing in there, which made it hard to eat. It always felt like they were staring daggers at her, wondering why she was there, and laughing at her.

So Bernadetta would always go off to eat lunch on her own, and since it was kind of embarrassing to be seen eating alone, Bernadetta liked to go off and hide.

But despite all that hassle, Lunch was probably her favorite part of the day. Her mother refused to allow her to bring her painting tools, so there wasn't much Bernadetta could do at her hotel. But they did allow Bernadetta to cook for herself. Admittedly it wasn't as grand as their home's kitchen, but Bernadetta liked making little things like snacks. So without anything else to do, Bernadetta had gotten into cooking over the summer.

It always cheered her up to eat the fruits of her own labor. Maybe remind her that she wasn't useless at everything, even if it did turn out a little mediocre.

And recently, Bernadetta had found this perfect spot for eating alone. There was a little enclave due to a pillar, and its size was just right. No one could see her, and she felt comfortably tucked away. Unless you were looking for it, you couldn't find it. Now no one could interrupt her lunch!

"Miss Varley?" A surprised voice interrupted her thoughts, belonging to none other than Miss Hresvelg!

"Uwa, M-Missh-" Bernadetta couldn't even talk properly because she had food in her mouth! What a failure!

"What are you doing here?" Miss Hresvelg asked, looking concerned.

This was great, just great. Of all the people to find her, it had to be the perfect Miss Hresvelg. Bernadetta made sure to swallow, just not to embarrass herself any further. Not that is would matter, "Eating lunch" Bernadetta admitted in a small voice.

"Have you eaten here often?" Miss Hresvelg asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No, I just found it yesterday."

"Oh," Miss Hresvelg seemed skeptical, but it was true! Before, Bernadetta ate underneath the staircase. "Mind if I join you then?" Miss Hresvelg asked, and Bernadetta's brain started malfunctioning.

"O-Okay," Bernadetta finally managed and scooted farther into the enclave to make enough space. Miss Hresvelg must have been on her way to lunch too since she had a bag of fast food with her. She sat down without saying anything and started eating. But she even managed to look regal while eating a burger! Bernadetta was so mesmerized, she almost forgot her own food. In a bit of a rush, she reached into her lunch box and dropped the boxes of food everywhere. Luckily nothing spilled.

Bernadetta was scrambling to grab them, that she didn't realize that Miss Hresvelg was handing her the box of ants on a log.

"T-Thank you," Bernadetta told her, but couldn't keep her thoughts to herself, "You probably think I'm childish for eating this…"

Miss Hresvelg raised an eyebrow, "Not at all, if anything it is healthier than what I'm eating," She grinned as she showed a french fry, and Bernadetta thought that this was the first time she had ever seen the regal girl smile. It was nice. "Did you make them yourself?" Bernadetta gave a small nod, "That's rather impressive. I just can't make enough time in the morning to prepare lunch.

"It's not much…"

"Really? Then may I try one?"

"Okay, but don't expect much. It's not very good, it just looks cute." Bernadetta offered, although the box was shaking due to her nerves.

"That's part of the charm though!" Miss Hresvelg admonished, and took a bite, and had a satisfied smile.

That was new.

Bernie never knew that other people would enjoy her food.

"It was quite tasty. May I have another?" Miss Hresvelg asked, her mouth full of peanut butter.

"G-go ahead! Infactjusttakethewholebox!" Bernadetta offered, but this was the first time that someone told her they liked something she made, and she was a little eager.

"No, I couldn't do that," Miss Hresvelg told her, which made sense. She must have only been polite earlier. No one actually liked Bernie's stuff. Although Miss Hresvelg must have seen the downtrodden look on Bernadetta's face, since she added, "I couldn't deprive you of something so delicious."

Bernadetta could feel a smile growing on her face, and it kind of hurt to be honest. But then she realized that she shouldn't really be receiving Miss Hresvelg's kindness. She was only sitting with her out of pity.

"I'm sorry," Bernadetta apologized.

"Oh, I wasn't aware you offended me."

"You're only sitting with me since I was alone, right? You probably want to go eat with your friends."

"No, not at all."

"It's okay! You don't need to lie. I'll be fine on my own, I promise."

"Miss Varley, the truth is, I had come here since I usually eat here," Miss Hresvelg told Bernadetta, but that didn't make much sense. This place was big enough for only one person, maybe two if you squeeze. "Alone," Miss Hresvelg added.

"Eh, really? But you're so capable and cool! You must have a lot of friends." Bernadetta insisted because someone like Miss Hresvelg would be nothing like her.

"I'm glad you see me that way, but unfortunately a good number of our fellow interns view me as stuck up and obnoxious," Miss Hresvelg gave a bitter smile.

"Really? I never knew…" Bernadetta was just _so stupid_. What was she doing forcing her expectations onto other people? This is why no one liked her.

"Yes, although I suppose I never tried to get to know them either. A good leader needs to be personable, and that is a trait I am lacking."

_So cool_, Bernadetta thought to herself, _She's going to fix her own flaws._

"So you really are interested in politics?" Bernadetta asked, careful not to let her assumptions betray her again.

"Of course, aren't you?" Miss Hresvelg asked with a puzzled tone as if it was natural.

"No, I'm just here because my mother made me." Bernadetta pouted, "I don't even like politics. It's just people being mean to each other."

Miss Hresvelg gave a little laugh at that, "I suppose you could describe a campaign like that. But it is necessary to explain your beliefs so that the voters know what you stand for."

"What you stand for, huh." Bernadetta took a moment, but all she could remember was being a doormat, "I don't have anything like that."

"Well, you can't go wrong if you use your party's platforms." Miss Hresvelg suggested, but her conflicted expression said otherwise.

So maybe it was because of that, but Bernadetta felt like she could trust the girl across from her, "Can you keep a secret?" When Miss Hresvelg nodded in affirmation, Bernadetta finally admitted, "I actually don't agree with a lot of my father's policies."

Miss Hresvelg gave a wicked smile when she heard that, "Miss Varley, I have a secret too: I'm the same as you. I have my own vision, and I'm pretty sure the party leadership wouldn't approve."

"Really? I just kinda don't like how mayors can do whatever they want without accountability."

"Yes, I agree entirely. We hold those in power accountable, and to do that, the state government needs more authority over them. Perhaps establish a bureau to control them." Miss Hresvelg had gotten up at some point, but Bernadetta hadn't noticed. She was listening with rapt attention, something about Miss Hresvelg just made people want to follow her. Bernadetta had always thought it was wrong when her father bragged to her mother about embezzling money but figured there was nothing that could be done about it. And now here was Miss Hresvelg who not only gave a solution but made it sound like it would be her utmost priority.

Miss Hresvelg truly was a born politician.

But Miss Hresvelg wasn't done, "I have many issues with our current system, including the one you just mentioned. But I believe that they all stem from one issue: The Crests. We can't tolerate discrimination based on Crests. One of my first actions would be to remove the law that only Crest bearers can hold office!" Miss Hresvelg looked so confident in her declaration that Bernadetta just couldn't help but clap. Miss Hresvelg gave a bashful smile at her newest fan.

"That was amazing! You were so passionate!" Bernadetta's eyes were sparkling with awe. Were politicians always this impressive?

"Well, thank you! But any change I could possibly achieve would be in the far future…"

"As long as it's you, I know you can do it!" Bernadetta insisted, having never felt this strongly for something before.

Miss Hresvelg had that bashful smile and was swaying back and forth. "Stop already, I get it. But thank you. Truly."

"For what, Miss Hresvelg?" Bernadetta asked, which caused Miss Hresvelg to form a frown.

"Please call me Edelgard, I can't be much older than you. What's your age?"

"17"

"Excuse me!?"

"Are you mad? You are mad, aren't you! I'm so sorry!"

"No, no, it's just that I'm 17. You seem rather young." Bernadetta didn't seem young, if anything Miss Hresvelg looked older. Actually, now that she realized it, she was acting like Miss Hresvelg was older than her! Who calls someone Miss when they are the same age!?

"I'm sorry, I'm a late bloomer." Bernadetta suddenly realized that Miss Hresvelg probably didn't know her name. And why would she? Bernie was no one important, "Oh, my name's Bernie, by the way! I mean Bernadetta! I'm sorry!"

"It's no issue, well I suppose we should head back, Bernie, our lunch break is almost over." Edelgard motioned for them to leave.

"Yeah!" Bernadetta nodded, before deciding to be a little daring, "Edelgard."

Bernadetta and Edelgard didn't see each other for the rest of the day since their work was different, but Bernadetta just couldn't get those words out of her head. They echoed inside her head, a constant reminder of Edelgard's ambitions. She could picture crowds cheering as Edelgard ran for Governor of Adrestia or even President of the United Lands of Fodlan! The last one may have been a pipe dream, but Bernadetta just could get the idea out of her head.

So when Bernadetta got home, she pulled out her laptop and started to type. And the words just kept coming. All of what Edelgard had said that day, it flowed onto the paper. Bernadetta filled the document with all of her issues with her father, with all of the struggles she had heard of the crestless, and with Edelgard's passion to solve the things that plagued the government and country.

By the time she finished it, for once in her life Bernadetta felt proud of something she made: it was a speech for Edelgard.

She wanted to share it with her.

But all of a sudden, reality hit Bernadetta like a sack of bricks.

Wasn't she being creepy?

She had one conversation with the girl, most people don't write essays for that. Edelgard would probably think she was a stalker and Bernadetta would lose the first person other than her family who would tolerate her.

With that thought, Bernadetta highlighted everything she wrote and deleted it.

What was she thinking? She was being too presumptuous. Thank the goddess she had regained her senses before sending it. If she had sent it, she would have been so scared of the fallout.

Although if it was Edelgard, she wouldn't have hesitated to send it. She wasn't scared of anything! And for once in her life, Bernadetta was going to be an Edelgard, not a Bernie!

Pressing Undo, Bernadetta copied her speech and sent it to Edelgard's email, which she found from one of those emails sent to all the interns.

She forgot to put a greeting or any of the proper formatting, she just wanted to send it before she lost her nerve.

And with that, Bernadetta was thoroughly exhausted, so she went to bed.

The next morning, Bernadetta received an email.

Tuesday, June 23, 8:21 AM

To: bernadettavarley62 gmail,com

From: ehresvelg outlook,com

Subject: RE: No Subject

Hello,

That was wonderful! I admit that it took me a moment to understand what it was you sent, but after reading it, I must admit I was touched you took my words to heart. It warms my heart to call you my friend. You truly have a gift for writing!

Thank you,

Edelgard Hresvelg

* * *

And here they were 5 years later. After being the youngest governor in Adrestian History, Edelgard was running for President of the United Lands of Fodlan.

And she had dragged Bernadetta with her. For every rally, every stump speech, every inauguration, and every address, she had insisted that Bernadetta would be the speechwriter.

Bernadetta had told Edelgard that she ought to hire a professional, but the protests fell on deaf ears. And so began Bernadetta's 5 years of anxiety where everything she wrote was being broadcasted to millions. Thank the goddess that Edelgard was a natural speaker and could hide any of the obvious flaws in Bernadetta's prose.

Although Bernadetta wouldn't say she regretted it.

Over the last 5 years, she had met so many people.

There was the Campaign Manager from Hell, Hubert, who demanded perfection, so he was always on Bernadetta's case. Although Bernadetta completely deserved it, she always wondered why he never complained about the quality of her speeches. Surely he knew that hiring a professional would be better? But he was in charge of the campaign and did whatever it took to get Edelgard elected. Bernadetta was pretty sure he doesn't do anything illegal though, despite what he might say.

And there was the Finance Coordinator, Ferdinand. He had run against Edelgard in the Governor Election, but after his defeat, he decided to work with Edelgard to secure a better future for Adrestia. Now he was in charge of getting big donors, as well as all the fundraising goals they needed to meet. He also served as a campaign lawyer, since he knew all the is and outs of those things.

Dorothea was in charge of all the grassroots programs, which meant she was in charge of finding volunteers, handing out flyers, and collecting donations from locals. Despite working so closely with Ferdinand though, they always got on each other's nerves. They would start arguments and competitions over the simplest of things. Although in the end, they got the job done.

And there was Linhardt, who was technically the person in charge of all the legal and financial regulations. Although he was usually sleeping, they had avoided any scandals with him in charge, so Hubert begrudgingly let him do as he pleased.

Petra was an activist from the state of Brigid, but she believed in Edelgard's vision, so she would occasionally help out with Edelgard's campaigns. Like at this rally, where she was an opening speaker.

And there was also Caspar, who was a regular volunteer at Edelgard's campaigns. He was a bit of a loudmouth, but he wasn't too bad, Bernadetta supposed.

Obviously, others filtered in and out, but those were the core members of Edelgard's campaign. It was kinda small, but Bernadetta preferred it like that. She liked them, for the most part. They were a well-oiled team after years of this, so despite the chaos, everything was on schedule.

Although Edelgard wasn't there yet, for some reason.

It was getting late, Petra had already taken the podium, and the candidate was nowhere in sight. Bernadetta wasn't doing anything anymore, so she went to Hubert to find out where Edelgard was.

Although maybe after his phone call, he looked kind of scary right then.

After hanging up, Hubert took a sweeping glance across the room and grabbed the two closest volunteers, which happened to be Caspar and Bernadetta.

"I need you two to gather the Arnult, Hevring, and Aegir in my office now," Hubert gave no explanation, and his tone indicated that he wasn't planning on giving one any time soon. So Bernadetta and Caspar hurried to gather the named folks, or rather Caspar since Bernadetta didn't feel comfortable bothering the busy Ferdinand and Dorothea, or the sleeping Linhardt.

When they were all in the room, Hubert broke the unfortunate news, "I'm sorry to say that Edelgard will not be joining us, she is currently in the ICU."

"Oh my goddess! Is she okay?" Dorothea asked, and Bernadetta was very interested in this information.

"We're not sure… But she won't be able to make the rally, that is certain."

"What will we do, then?" Caspar asked the question everyone in the room was thinking, and Hubert let out a sigh.

"There is nothing we can do. We need to cancel the event."

"But it's already going on!" Ferdinand protested, "What about all the people who came to support us?"

"It would look bad if we suddenly canceled the rally," Linhardt agreed.

Dorothea looked exasperated at the two, "I'm sure they'll understand that Edie just couldn't make it. Honestly, who expects an injured person to go onstage."

"That's not the issue. Edelgard was supposed to give a speech, but since she insisted on memorizing it, we don't have it here. There is absolutely nothing we can do." Hubert shook his head, looking defeated. Bernadetta had been touched when Edelgard decided to memorize her speeches. Now... not so much.

"Wait, doesn't Bernadetta have the speech? She wrote it, right?" Caspar asked, and Bernadetta stared daggers at him. Did he really expect her to go out there in front of millions of people? Was he crazy?

"I suppose that could work…" Hubert drawled, and Bernadetta had a new enemy.

"Can you do it, Bernadetta?" Linhardt asked, skepticism written all over his face.

Ugh, expectations! Why'd they have to make it so hard to turn them down? And Bernadetta kinda remembered it. "I mean, I can try. But It won't be as good as Edelgard. Plus they'll be disappointed it's me and not her…" Bernadetta downplayed herself, just so they understood what a terrible idea it was. But she would do it.

For Edelgard.

Ferdinand jumped with joy, "This way Edelgard can return without worrying! Thank you so much!"

"Way to go Bern!" Dorothea ruffled Bernadetta's hair, before realizing what a complete mess it was. "Alright, then we gotta do hair and makeup real fast! Hubert, come on!" Most people were surprised that the dark and gloomy Hubert did Edelgard's hair and make-up, but it was surprisingly well done. Then again, he would do _whatever it takes_.

So Bernadetta felt like a flurry of things happened and all of a sudden Bernadetta was on stage. Petra had a confused face, probably wondering what Bernie was doing here. Then again, most of the audience was looking confused as well. So that meant all of them had their eyes on her. Thousands of pairs staring. Millions were going to watch this on TV.

Bernadetta didn't belong here.

What was Bernadetta even supposed to say?

Oh Goddess, she forgot the speech!

How long had she been standing here?

Were they judging her?

What was she doing?

Where was Caspar!? This was his fault! He should know better than to run his mouth about what people can and can't do! Bernadetta turned her head furiously, looking for the culprit, and found the blue-haired culprit smiling innocently as if he didn't realize what he had done.

When he saw that she was glaring at him, he gave her a thumbs up.

What the actual hell. Didn't he care what people think?

Well, it couldn't get much worse than this. Might as well try it the Caspar way.

"Um, hello! I-I'm sorry I'm not Edelgard! She can't really show up right now. But this rally was really important to her, so we wanted to complete it for her! But she memorized her speech so we don't currently have it here. So they sent me up here because I'm Bernie! No, wait! I mean I'm Bernadetta! Ugh, stupid Bernie! I'm sorry, I'm her speechwriter!" The crowd howled with laughter at her mess up. Oh no, they were laughing at her! They would never laugh at Edelgard. What would Edelgard do? Bernadetta couldn't even remember her speech! And she wrote it! How pathetic… But her mess up did remind her of her first speech, from 5 years ago.

"So, uh, I m-met Edelgard 5 years ago. We were both interns for a campaign. And, um, honestly, I didn't care about politics back then. I t-thought that it was just people slinging mud at each other for the chance of p-power. But then I met Edelgard. She showed me that there were people who wanted to run, not for power, but to make the world a better place!

"For a long time, I was worried about so many things. But I felt powerless s-since I knew that those in power wouldn't want to change things. And I also felt voiceless because my opinions never mattered to others. I felt less than human, but it was only because of Edelgard that I was able to move past this.

"When I told her about corrupt officials, who used bribery, embezzlement, and extortion to get what they wanted, she listened to me. And not only that, she gave me a solution. This solution was eventually implemented when Edelgard was Governor of Adrestia. She set up a bureau to investigate the improper use of government power.

"Edelgard is someone who makes thoughts into actions! She listens to the voiceless, and gives strength to the powerless!

"And when I asked her what her ultimate goal was, she told me she wanted to do away with the discrimination based on crests! At first, I thought it was a pipe dream, but I always knew if anyone could do it, it would be Edelgard. And here we are now, running for President. To be honest, I'm not sure I'm if I'm dreaming.

"But it is a serious issue! For instance, look at Petra Macneary! She loves Brigid, but because she doesn't have a crest she can't hold office there. I would honestly prefer having her in charge than some stupid politician because then I know we are leaving Brigid in good hands!" Bernadetta was interrupted by a howl of approval, and it was then she realized that they had been clapping for some time.

"Uwa- Um- I'm sorry. I should've paused for you guys to clap…"

But then she heard someone from the crowd shout "Keep Going!"

"Um, okay I will! As I was saying earlier, even if the C-crests are the Goddess's gift to Humanity, it shouldn't determine who should be in charge. The only thing to determine if someone should hold office is an election!"

Oh no, Bernadetta was running out of material from her speech from so long ago, but it sounded like the audience wanted to hear more. With nothing else left, Bernadetta decided to speak from the heart.

"But Edelgard isn't some perfect being either! The reason we became friends in the first place is because we both didn't have any friends to eat with! Now, I've never really had friends before, and I thought there was something wrong with me. But I never tried to change myself. I would've gone on like that forever, but Edelgard wasn't like that.

"She told me that she needed to reach out to others, and wanted to become more personable, and she did just that! She found a team of people she could trust, and became more open, which just drew more people to her! She even got her opponent for the Governor election to be on her campaign team! Edelgard isn't perfect, but she will strive to be the best person she can!

"And it isn't just her, she makes better people out of all of us. 5 years ago, before I met Edelgard, I didn't think I would ever stand on stage like this! Actually, I don't think I would've 5 minutes ago either. But for her, I would. Because she is my friend.

"So let her do for you, what she did for me! Please vote for Hresvelg in 1885. Thank you!"

Bernadetta gave a quick bow, and when she got up, she rose to a crowd chanting her name.

"BERNIE! BERNIE! BERNIE!"

Bernadetta felt sheepish, is this what Edelgard feels all the time. "Um, thanks?" She awkwardly left the stage, not entirely sure what to do with this newfound fame.

* * *

The trip to the hospital was draining.

Mostly because the entire time it felt like people were looking at her.

After being congratulated by the rest of the staff, Bernadetta just wanted to crawl into bed, but she still needed to see Edelgard. She would be beside herself with worry otherwise.

So it was a relief to see Edelgard looking so relaxed.

Apparently, she had just slipped and fell and hit her head, but it had looked much worse than it actually was.

Either way, everyone was overjoyed that Edelgard would pull a full recovery in a few days. Hubert admonished her, Linhardt went back to sleep, so everything was back to normal. Although before they left, Edelgard asked Bernadetta if they could speak privately.

"I saw your speech on TV," Edelgard began, and Bernadetta started to freak out at the foot of her bed.

"I'm so sorry! I know you could've done better!"

"Actually," Edelgard gave a fond smile, "I think that was your best speech yet."

"You don't have to lie to me to make me feel better, y'know,"

Edelgard chuckled at the accusation, "I'm not, I'm proud of you. You did wonderfully! I never expected you to speak in front of an audience that big though."

"I know, it was so scary! I can't believe you do that every time!"

"I admit, it was daunting at first, but because I knew you believed in me, and I had your speeches, I could get through it." Edelgard was serious when she said that, even the constantly paranoid Bernadetta understood that.

"D-Do you really mean that?" Bernadetta had tears in her eyes, so it was messing with her words.

"Of course, as much as you think I am your strength, you have been mine. I just want you to know you are so much stronger than you think." Edelgard then brightened up, as she remembered another topic, "By the way, I wanted you to hear this new idea I had! So I was admitted into the ICU, but I didn't truly need it. So I was thinking that maybe we should give funding to hospitals so they can establish an intermediary ICU to determine how serious a patient's injury is! I know I need to talk to lobbyists, but I just can't stop thinking of how inefficient the current system!"

Bernadetta laughed at her friend's lack of priorities, only Edelgard would be thinking of how to streamline the medical process while recovering from a concussion.


End file.
